Dispensing apparatus for tablets and the like



9 J. TURGILYL Er AL 1,969,590

DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR TABLETS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 7, 1934.

J. TURGILL ET! AL DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR TABLETS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR, TABLETS AND THE LIKE a John Turgill, London, and Samuel James Everett,

Thornton Heath, England, assignors of onethird to Jack Seward )ottrell, London, England Application September 29, 1931, Serial No. 565,812

' In Great Britain October 2, 1930 '3 Claims? (01. 312-48) This invention relates to improvements in dispensing apparatus for'tablets and the like and is more particularly concerned with apparatus used by dentists for delivering tablets one or more at a time without the tablets being touched by hand. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple construction of apparatus consisting of few parts andadapted for ensuring the ready delivery of the tablets without the risk 0 of the tablets jamming in the apparatus. A further object is to enable the apparatus to be quickly refilled with tablets without any particular care being exercised and to avoid handling of the tablets during the operation. Still further objects are to provide a compact construction for receiving a large number of tablets and to provide an improved delivery mechanism for avoiding crushing of the tablets.

According to the invention the apparatus comprises an upright magazine adapted for receiving a pile or piles or tablets superposed edgewise, in v combination with means for delivering the tablets one at a time from the apparatus. The magazine may be adapted for containing a number of piles by being formed or provided with a number of vertical passages and further adapted for being adjusted for bringing any one of the passages into communication with the delivery chamber or outlet of the apparatus. Thus as the pile in any one passage is exhausted, the magazine may be rotated to bring the pile of another passage above the delivery chamber or outlet. Owing to the provision or" a plurality of passages it will be seen that a large number of tablets can be received in a magazine of compact size and not of undue height. This magazine may comprise a cylindrical core member formed with a number of vertical grooved passages around its circumference and closely enclosed by an outer sheath member the grooved passages being shaped for receiving the tablets superposed edgewise. The sheath member which may be transparent, or formed withwindows or sight openings for observing the condition of the piles in the passages, extends above the top of the core member. The latter may be formed with a domed top or may be otherwise shaped so as to have a distributive effect. Thus as the tablets are emptied into the top of the magazine they are guided by the top of the cylindrical core member and are constrained to fall into respective groovedpassages and assume the desired edgewise position. Therefore there is no necessity for any particular care tobe exercised in filling the magazine and this operation does not necessitate any handling of the tablets. Suitable means such as a spring-pressed ball or plunger may be provided for holding the rotatable magazine in any selected position of adjustment.

The delivery control means for the tabletsmay be in the form of a rotary valve device chambered to receive the lowermost tablet of a pile and adapted for permitting discharge of the tablets one at a time from the delivery chamber. According to a modification a slidable control means, may comprise a shutter having two prong members which are adapted for engaging in the spaces between superposed tablets arranged edgewise and thereby shutting off communication between the pile and the delivery chamber when the shutter is operated for delivery of a tablet. This delivery device may be adapted for operation by the pressure of a tumbler or drinking vessel.

-In order to enable the invention to be readily understood reference will be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating by way of example practical constructions for carrying the invention into effect, in which drawings:-

' Figure l is a sectional elevation of a magazine containing a number of piles of tablets and fitted with a'rotary delivery valve.

Figure 2 is partly an elevation and partly a vertical section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1, with the closure cap removed.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the rotary valve devicefshown in Figure 1.

I Figure 5 is a side elevation of a dispensing device similar to that shown in Figure 1 but fitted with a slidable delivery device. I

' Figure 6 is partly an elevation and partly a section on the line 6'-6 of Figure'5 and Figure 7 is a plan view of the slidable delivery device seen in Figures 5 and 6.

According to Figures 1 to 4 a magazine 12 is adapted for receiving a number of piles of tablets arranged edgewise. The magazine extends upwardly from the horizontal membero of an angle bracket, the depending vertical member p of which is provided with clamps q for securing the device to a suitable support. The magazine comprises an upstanding core member 1* formed around its circumference with a series of longitudinal grooved passages s. The lower end of the core is fixedly mounted in a disc twhich'is revolubly supported on the bracket member o and secured by a bolt u. The disc t is formed with a circumferential bead u iorming a socket'for receiving 'the lower end of; a transparent cylinder or sheath 10, made of glass or mica for example, and adapted for fitting closely around the core member r. The cylinder w closes the open sides of'the groovedpassages s and is taller than the core. The top of the core member 1 is domed at nor is of other suitable shape, so that when tablets are'emptied into the space above the top of the core they are distributed towards the enclosing cylinder w and are thus directed into the grooved passages '-s. The disc "t'is formedwitha number of apertures y coinciding with =the lower ends of the grooved passages s and is rotatable to be turned for closing the delivery outlet asseen In this position the lowermost in Figure 1. tablet of the particular pile in position above the outlet is held in the delivery outlet by the crescent. When the valve is turned by thehandle 6 this tablet is delivered into a tumbler or thellike held beneath the apparatus. At the same time the crescent 5 shuts oii the remainder of the pile so that only theone tablet is deliveredat-a time. As soon as the supply of tablets in one .pile of the magazine is exhausted, the magazine .is rotated by turning the disc t tobring the next pile into position above the delivery opening. The cor rect position with the appropriate passage 5 and aperture y-coinciding with the deliveryopening 2 is determined by-a spring-pressed ball or plunger '7, mounted in the bracket member o,.clicking into oneiof a series of .recessesor depressions 8 formed on the undersurface of the disc t. When the tablets in all the .piles have been delivered, a removable closure 9 on the cylinder 40 .is .removed and the magazine is quickly charged by simplyemptyingtablets-intothetop of themagazine whence they quickly. assume-an edgewise positionisuperposedin,piles aslpreviously described.

Re'ierring vto Figuresfi to 8, .themagazine n is of :similar construction :to that Just described and is rotatably mounted in any suitable -.manner. The delivery of the tablets :iscontrolled by a slidable shutter 10. Therlatter comprisesia shutter plate 11 slidableon the -.undersurface-of the horizontal bracket member 12am .'formed with a slot 13 for permitting deliveryofatablet from the 'delivery chamber .14. The plate 1 1 is formed with :a right angled bend ,15 extending .oventhe freeendof the bracket member 12. EIZhis bend is narrower than the shutter plate Ll sand its end is formed with two prongs r or extensions lo which are adapted to :shut 4 off co-mmunicatinn between the magazine and the delivery chamber 14. Apresserplate 1;? depends verticallydirom-tlre free iend of the shutter plate :11 land :a compression spring .18 acts between the .presser plate 1:7

and the vertical bracket [member :19 for .forcing the slidable shutter outwardly. :In this rposition the prongs l6 permit a tablet to fall ,from the magazine into the delivery -chamber l elbut delivery from .the .-latter-lis ;prevented by the shutter plate 11. The presser'plate 1 7 may -bepushed 5 back by :a tumbler pressed against :it and :may

beappropriately bent=for the purpose. Whenthe shutter .is pushed back the slot 13 comesE-beneath theideliverychamber 14 so that the tablettherein -.fa1lssinto the tumbler. rAtthe timeithe t rongs 1:6 .pass underneath the passage s of the magazine and hold the-.nex titablet of the pile. I hese {prongs are spaced apartfand :are shaped for engaging spaced pointsiarourrd :the circumference of the tablet 'so that the liability .of crushingthe' latter;is eliminated. iAistu'd 20 The latter ex-' depending from the bracket member 12 may engage iinia slot221.formediin'theshutter plate 11 for guiding it and limiting its sliding movement.

We claim:

, 1. A dispensing device for disc like tablets comprising a support formed with a delivery chamher, "an upright ;magazine extending upwardly :from said support and comprising a cylindrical core member having a domed shaped top and formed with a plurality of vertical passages and prongs on said shutter plate adapted :to 'engage points on the periphery of the tablet next .above and so shut off and temporarily-support the pile when the delivery means is actuated for delivery "of a tablet, anda spring normally urg- .ing the slidable plate to thezshut-ofi position.

2. 'A- dispensing device for disc-1i :eitablets-comprising asupport .forrnedwith a delivery chamber, a-magazineupstanding from saidsupport and comprising a cylindrical core :member having a domed shaped :top "non-revoluble onisai'dccore. and formed around its circumference "with zaznumber of vertical :laterally'open passages separated .by narrow ribs and shaped .tozreceive the "tablets superposed iedgew'ise, r/a irotatalile mounting for said rma'gazine :permitting it to be adjusted "to bring any one :of :said ."passages into communication with said itihamber, ran :onter "transparent sheath closing saidiopen zpassagesandzextending above ithe domed rtop rof -the :core and :coop'erative "withisaid. :core to rconstrain lth'e tablets to assume :an etdgewise disposition .inzsaid passages, and control .means normally'supp'orting the :lowermost tablet :of the pile and:operativeindependently of (the irotatable iimounting for ireleasing said tablet :and shutting on the remainder :of

the pile.

:3. Ardispensingrdeviceifor disc-ilikeItablets comprising in icombination a support Iformed with a delivery :cham'b'er, valve-like means in "said chamber and operative fOIFIIBaS lIlg the ilowermost "tabletof a pile and shutting off the remainder ofrsuch pile, a'rotatably'adjustable mounting on said support, and a magazine erected on said mounting, 4 said magazine comprising 'a core and -;a transparent sheath 0T greater -'height than said core, the latter being formed *wiith1a number of longitudinal peripheral grooves separated by narrow *ribs :and having a domed top non-revoluble on thenoreyand the sheath closely surrounding the core so as to enclose the open sides of JOHN TURGI LL. :SAMUEL JAMES 'EV'ERE'IT. 

